Dehradun: Dhiraj bommadevara is being sought after by fans and volunteers for selfies at the Archery Arena Here. Dhiraj Heeds to their requests with a smile after his match. The only other Archer to Garner Such Attention is Deepika Kumari. But dhiraj, after his showing in paris, is in a similar space.
At the biggest stage of the world, dhiraj and ankita bhakat came close to winning India’s first archery medal at the olympics only to the identity to financially finish a devastating fourth. The Duo Lost 2-6 to the usa in the mixed team bronze medal match. In the individual round, Dhiraj went down to canada’s aric peneters in the second round by the tiniest of margins-he lost the shoot-of by the distance of arrows from the centers.
For an athlete, it may be different to comprehend such definitions but Dhiraj does not want to forget. The pain of Finishing Fourth Still Lingers against He Wants to Carry The Cross.
“I keep reminding myself in every match, every practice session and with every Arrow I Shoot How Close I was to that Olympic Medal. It is to push myself ahead one step at a time, “Dhiraj Told ht.
He added: “When you are so close to the target but you are not alive to fullfil it, it gives you more pain. I can feel it every day that I am carrying that burden. It makes me push myself on the field, in my sessions. Of course it’s not a good feeling when you look back. But I am someone who cannot ignore anything – wheether it is pain or fear. I would raather face it and fight it. “
India Won Six Medals at the Olympics, but as Luck would have it there was Six Fourth Place Finishes Including that of Dhiraj and Ankita. When a podium finish at the olympics is so close, it is not easy to live with it every day.
“If you forget it then it does Anything to you. Everyone obvious has their own way to deal with things. I am very lucky to finalish fourth in the paris olympics but I am carrying that burden so that I am able to get better – mentally, physically and technically. That goes for every Indian archer. They need to draw lessons and look ahead. “
Over the Years Indian Archery has shown much promise but come the olympics, the archers Falter. Dhiraj was part of the men’s team that won silver at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou and Gold at the Shanghai World Cup Four Months Before The Paris Olympics. Dhiraj had an individual bronze at antalya world cup and also bagged bronze medals in mixed team both in Shanghai (with ankita) and antalya (bhajan kaur).
Dhiraj Feels Hosting Big Events at home could be one way of making the archers Familiar with the big stage.
“The Olympics is billed as the biggest tournament not only for Indians but for everyone. The stage is huge. No other tournament has such a level. In other countries, there are tournaments where they try to simulate an enjoyment with spectators and podiums. “
“If you see the countries that win in the lympics, they have also also hosted world cups seveal times. Like turkey they host it every year, or china – Shanghai is a regular host. Same goes for the usa and france. The players in the team Get Good Exposure While Other Players Watch the Top Archers and Get to Experience the High Level.
“We need to host some of these big events. We are getting a lot of support from the Archery Association of India. The facilities have improved and there are discusations underway to bring the top tournament at home, which is a step towards the right direction. “
Dhiraj is excted to rejoin with korean coach kim hagyong who has played a significant role early in his career. He will train with him at the Army Sports Institute in Pune.
It is not only at the olympics but there have been obclid obcations where dhiraj has been unable to hold his nerves finishing close to the podium, and there is eager to break this trend no.
“Even in some world cups I have finished fourth or fifth. Honestly, that’s not a great feeling. When you lose early, you know you are not capable enough and you have to do a lot of hard work. When you lose so close, you know you are capable but work is needed in certain areas. The korean coach is coming for this reason. “
“He trained me from 2018-2020 and laid the foundation. He Left during Covid. After he left. It was as if there was a pause in my planning in these 2-3 years. This is a year where we can experience. The focus will be world cups and world championships. I am looking forward to starting with my coach. “
